Far East news items
I found these interesting stories in Far East news-
But I'm sick, I tell you, too sick to be investigated- both Yoon and Kim Gon-hee, claim to be too sick to answer summons in criminal investigations into their suspected crimes.
The Yoon couple seem to be very ill. https://t.co/YZghrojdVk
— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) July 29, 2025
There has been a lot of social media coverage of special favors Yoon has received while in detention in jail during his martial law trial. He was released from jail on March 8 after a court cancelled his arrest warrant, but returned to jail on July 10, after the court granted a detention warrant requested by a special prosecution team investigating additional charges of obstructing official duties, abuse of power and falsifying official documents..
The trial judge had released Yoon from detention until the special prosecutor newly assigned to the case demanded he be detained again for failure to appear; risk of witness tampering, destruction of evidence, etc. The photo of Yoon pushing Kim Gon-hee in a wheelchair (for depression?) is from the period during which he was released. The Special Prosecutor Team investigating Kim Gon-hee for interference in party nomination and election processes among other things may soon have a second independent grounds for a warrant against Yoon.
Chrome translation from Yonhap source-
Former President Yoon did not appear for his first summons for questioning by the special prosecutors' team, scheduled for 10:00 AM today. He was arrested on the 10th as part of the special prosecutors' investigation into the internal rebellion and is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Center.
The defense team's position is that former President Yoon's chronic diabetes has worsened, his liver function has risen, and his eye disease has worsened to the point that his doctor recently warned him that he is at risk of blindness, indicating that his health is poor.
In relation to this, Special Prosecutor Moon repeatedly pressured him to appear, saying, "I have not yet heard any news from the detention center regarding his health, and I understand that he did not have any major health problems when he was summoned by the special prosecution team for the internal rebellion."
Former President Yoon has not appeared in the special prosecutor's investigation or the sedition trial for three weeks.
Anti US Demo outside US military base at Pyeongtaek:
An armistice signed 72 yrs ago stopped active fighting but still there is no peace.
Activists in Pyeongtaek, where the largest overseas U.S. military base is located, rejected ongoing occupation of S. Korea and rising economic exploitation and called for U.S. troops to GO HOME https://t.co/anpKnTTfs8
— feed the poor no more money for war (@TashaEssen) July 28, 2025
Kim Yo-jong and outside the US Embassy in Seoul. The two posts stuck together here; I don't think the North Korean story is anything new.
In front of the U.S. Embassy in S.Korea. July 26
South Korean protesters' letters to Trump pic.twitter.com/Bx7LpdexID— aqua (@aqua52043525) July 28, 2025
I can't remember the last time I've seen images of the US embassy when it wasn't surrounded by the wall of police busses for security. I guess that big searchlight is for photographing "commie sympathizers." These somewhat smaller anti-US demos are prompted by US tariff and trade demands, demands for 10 billion dollars annually, under SOFA for US military support; demands for increased 5% GDP expenditure on defense, and the adoption of an anti-China pro-Japan orientation, etc.
Tim S. has a new post up on his website about US treatment of the Japan- South Korea relationship with some historical perspective from Bruce Cummings. Hadn't heard from Cummings lately, I had wondered where he's been during these tumultuous times. Not sure of the date of his statements, it seems relatively recent:
It may be the MAGA right making the warning, but its repellent views are shared by the liberal imperialists from the Biden administration. Korean War scholar Bruce Cumings gets the last word.
US-China trade numbers with some nice charts-
(9 min)
Comments
Far out
.
Thanks for sharing the goings on
in that hemisphere.
Zionism is a social disease
Glad you liked it Q
不客气
There's quite a bit going on over there, not as sensational or grim as Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, etc.
語必忠信 行必正直
my only hope, if there is a social movement
.
it is for the better for the people
Zionism is a social disease
We need to
shut down that military base and bring our military home.
Well, soryang, I'd be depressed if my husband was facing life in prison or execution.
Thanks for the news from SK.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
yes, I'm sure she's upset, OTC
I don't think Yoon will be given a death sentence. The trial judge is obviously partial to Yoon. The Supreme Court Chief Judge is also a hard right Yoon tool. So if Yoon were to get a conviction in the lower courts the Supreme Court is likely to reverse it. What's really disturbing to Yoon and particularly his wife, is that they have lost control of the administration of justice, which protected their criminal activity for years. It had to come to an end, because everyone who followed independent media in South Korea saw how they used the public prosecutors offices to protect their fraudulent grifter lifestyle. Prosecutorial reform has been a democratic priority for years; that had run aground during the Moon administration. It seems to be taking shape to some degree with these special prosecution teams, who have undermined the Yoon's good ole boy network inside the prosecution offices. This network has ties to bench and the private bar to some extent and also works in large part through collusion with the major media establishment.
I'm sure the situation is stressful for the two, both of whom have been grifters protected by the law, and media, no matter what they did. The judicial system was totally discredited until the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon from presidential office.
Hopefully, enough Supreme Court judges' terms will expire before hand, or whatever right wing judge on the supreme court is the Chief Judge, gets caught throwing one of the other high profile cases from the insurrection, and gets impeached, serving as a lesson to the rest of the bench before Yoon's case gets decided. I've heard democratic leaders threaten to impeach almost the entire bench when they did some very unorthodox moves on Lee's criminal case, to try to bar now president Lee Jae-myung from the June 3 election. Now he's immune because he's president. imo
語必忠信 行必正直
New trade pact with Korea also this week
Plus Cambodia and Thailand.
I think Korea is our third largest trade partner all of it headed for us. So 15% on incoming, nothing on outgoing and a bunch of money to sweeten the deal.
Yes, thanks ban nock
They are ranked 6th according to US News.
It's a coercive deal. Sweet for whom? Koreans to import beef? They already do. This will cause instability there. Open the SK market to US cars? Don't think they'll buy even if they are going to allow it. I've seen that before in person with Carla Hills years ago.
This is neo-mercantilism. Imo it's retrograde. What happened to the quasi- religious belief in "free trade?"
Even if they agree to it, signs will go up all over Korea, don't buy US beef, etc. They did the same to Japan a few years ago, when Japan took S.Korea off the so called "white list," because the Japanese said S.Korea was a security risk.
This is old US beef, more than 30 months old that is in issue. South Koreans aren't going to undermine their own agricultural base.
I haven't followed the Thai and Cambodian situations. Haven't heard any details yet.
語必忠信 行必正直
It is like that old lady
.
in the commercial for Wendy's
Where's the beef?
somewhere in transit
Zionism is a social disease
two interesting videos on SK-US trade negotiations
about 2 min. in English
2 min English
語必忠信 行必正直
Do like the MBN format
.
concise
thx
Zionism is a social disease
@soryang We make revenue. Right
We make revenue. Right now we're at about 30B a month. More tariffs more money.
It's a regressive tax
...on the US importers which is passed on to ordinary consumers. It will reduce economic activity and damage the US economy. Unlimited funds for wars and atrocities overseas, hardship for the domestic population. Looks the era preceding WWII.
語必忠信 行必正直
@soryang Half of consumption
Half of consumption is by the wealthiest 10%. Any passed through cost increases will hit the well off the most. A lot of tariffs have been absorbed by the importer who pays the tariff and the foreign manufacturer via negotiations with the importer.
A benefit is now companies are moving here. Apple is intent on spending a half trillion over 4 years here. Also Taiwan semiconductor.
I'd like to see much higher income and other taxes, but I don't mind tariffs at all.
You couldn't be more wrong ban nock
The wealthiest people spend far less on a percentage basis of their income on consumption items. The wealthiest people allocate most of their surplus income which is way beyond living costs to either intangible property or business property. Most of their purchases of durable and capital goods are purchased through business entities they own or otherwise control. So, if they buy a Ferrari or a Gulfstream they pay none of the tariffs. A business they own places it as an above the line business purchase for tax purposes, and in effect, Uncle Sam pays for it.
So the ordinary consumer spends a large chunk of their income on goods which will be affected by tariffs, while wealthy people pay very little as a percentage of income, themselves. This is how the bottom up transfer of wealth works.
At one and the same time, the dubious revenues from tariffs are a burden on commerce generally and will reduce tax revenue in the aggregate from other sources simply due to the consequent collapse in commerce. Additionally, tariffs are touted as an offset to reductions in income taxation on the wealthiest tax brackets and corporations. The people running the government are incompetent at all but one thing, making the rich, richer and the devil with the rest of us. My late brother was a tax advisor. He said, "US tax law represents the relative power among the groups in society for whom the laws are drafted." This is how it works. It bores the shit out of me personally, but this is the game.
If you think trump and the legislature passed this law so rich people could pay more taxes...seek counsel.
語必忠信 行必正直
@soryang "If you think
"If you think trump and the legislature passed this law so rich people could pay more taxes...seek counsel."
Maybe only assume things I actually say.
So you do agree then, the 10% are half of consumption spending and will pay half or more of any costs that filter down? Right or wrong?
When statisticians figure out spending, they don't count businesses as individuals. That farari doesn't show up as personal spending anyway.
When I look at our personal spending almost none of it is on actual goods, and things we do buy are almost all grown in the US. Food. The poor spend almost their entire income on things, but it's not French wine. It's gas, rent, groceries, beer.
Yes tax laws suck, so what, that's not what's being talked about. The question is are tariffs a net good or bad. For the wealthy maybe bad. If that's you I'm sorry, spend less. For factory workers, the tariffs are good.